Finding new skill users was going to be tough, but I had a major asset on my side. I could search for skill users with [Radar]. 

So this meant that the best available strategy for me was just to walk around and hope something shows up on the radar. 

And that’s what I did. For hours. I found some skill users, but they all had multiple skills, meaning they’re from the Gyeong-jin Organization.

While the sun lowered, my anxiety heightened. I had so little time and I was already wasting a day. I started walking parallel to apartments to find any users hiding inside. My frantic searching eventually bore results.

Name: Lee Jong-i

Age: 28

Skills: [Illusion Paper]

“Illusion Paper”? Another odd skill. But this was the first person I found who wasn’t from the Gyeong-jin organization. It’s possible they’re from the World Harmony Initiative, but it’s unlikely to find their influence here in Korea.

Either way, I had to at least consider it. I pulled up the skill page.

________________________________

[Illusion Paper]

C Tier

This skill takes the form of a small piece of paper that can be folded inward and outwards by the user. The paper will show would-be viewers whatever they believe to be on it.

________________________________

Absolutely garbage. In terms of survival, this skill was nearly worthless. How did he survive for so long without getting captured?

I sighed. It wasn’t at all great for my situation, but I’d be damned if I let my search amount to nothing. But I wasn’t so hasty as to accept it without a second thought. 

I returned to my apartment after noting down the user’s name and the location I found him in. 

I ran through possible conditions in my head. 

How the hell would it work? Did the gods plan conditions for each skill or do they just wing it? 

My best guess was that the condition would be “Convince someone that a piece of paper has something on it that it doesn’t”. I was concerned that the real condition was different, or that the rules of the conditions were different than I understood, but I worked under the assumption that this was the only possible condition that would work. I spent the rest of the evening planning a route of attack. 

The next morning, I enacted my perfectly planned out strategy. It was guaranteed to work. Probably.

I ventured back to the apartment of the user, and found that he was still in his room. 

First things first, I accepted pursuit of the skill. My plan was worth nothing if the condition was wrong.

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Imitate Condition

Time limit: 8 hours

Convince the user that the provided piece of paper is not blank.

Progress:

User not yet convinced

________________________________

A blank sheet of paper fell out of the book.

The condition was almost exactly as I’d hoped. In fact, it would be easier than my initial idea, since I just had to convince the user. I wasn’t sure which floor of the apartment he was on, but it didn’t matter much. I could just try each floor.

I knocked on the door on the first floor and got my act ready. I saw his dot moving on the map.

“Hello?”

Game time.

“Hi sir, I’m from Haneul University. Would you be interested in participating in a scientific study for monetary compensation?”

This was my plan. Nobody would refuse with money on the line. It was also a good cover for my identity.

“Umm…”

He stumbled over his words for a moment, but I wouldn’t let him back out.

“We’re performing a study on how rewards affect problem solving. Each correct answer will give you 10,000 won.”

Thank god I only had to convince one person. It would make it far easier on my wallet.

“If it doesn’t take too long, sure.”

“Not to worry sir, it’ll just take 5 minutes.”

I hoped that was the case. It might not be the best skill, but getting it in 5 minutes would make it an absolute bargain.

“The idea is simple. I’m going to hold up cards with numbers on them. After the 4th card, I want you to guess what comes next.”

I displayed 4 sheets of paper, numbered 2, 4, 6, and 8.

I displayed the next sheet backwards, with the blank side facing out.

“What number comes next?”

“10?”

“Correct!”

I turned over the sheet, revealing the number 10, and handed him one of my precious 10,000 won notes. I pretended to jot down his answer on a clipboard.

I repeated this process with multiple sequences of numbers so that he would become accustomed to the pattern. 

Then, I substituted the last number of a sequence with the blank sheet the book provided.

“What comes next?”

“7.”

“Correct!”

I flipped over the paper to reveal another blank side. He was clearly surprised, because he expected the number 7 to be on the sheet.

It was like some sort of cheap parlor trick, except utterly pointless and meaningless in any other context.

“Ah, whoops. This paper was supposed to say 7.”

I handed him the 10,000 won note so he wouldn’t become suspicious. I could’ve played another round or two to further reduce his doubt, but I glanced at the few remaining notes in my wallet. 

…I’ll pass.

“Anyways, that concludes the experiment. Thank you for participating.”

Once he was out of sight, I opened my book and smiled. The competition date had filled in on the backside of the page, and I had just stolen my second skill in under 5 minutes.

Skills stolen (2)

 [Radar] [Illusion Paper]